The present invention relates to an arrangement in a sewing machine of the type which is provided with an electronic control unit, the arrangement comprising a needle mechanism having a needle bar, a presser bar provided with a presser foot and actuated by a resilient means in order to provide a controllable presser foot pressure against the cloth to be sewn, and a lifting device for adjusting the presser foot between an operative position and an inoperative position spaced from the cloth.
According to the invention, in a sewing machine of the above-mentioned kind extended and improved sewing functions have been obtained. An object of the arrangement according to the invention is to provide power-driven elevation of the presser foot to an inoperative position when the actual seam is completed. Another object is to provide an intermittent, limited elevation of the presser foot during the sewing procedure, the cloth being held during stretching of the sewing-thread and released when the needle is at its top position in order to enable manual cloth feed. Another object is to provide an intermittent, limited elevation of the presser foot when the needle is at its bottom position and engaging the cloth, to enable lateral cloth feed by means of the needle. Another object is to enable control of the presser foot pressure to a preferred value irrespective of the thickness of the cloth. A further object is to enable sensing of the cloth thickness and to adjust the sewing-thread tension in relation to the sensed value.